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Here is a startlingly strange, certainly enjoyable real-life tale from the heartland of American showbusiness; a lovable crowdpleaser whose feelgood flavour does little to warn you for the way the plot frequently and brutally turns like an unsafe fairground ride. I actually had myself shutting my eyes and mouth open during several crucial moments, and was grabbing the chair ahead tightly with my hands.

The Unbelievable True Tale

The couple Mike and Claire Sardina, terrifically played by Jackman and Hudson, were a Milwaukee married couple with kids from prior unions that during the 1990s created a cheesy homage performance to Neil Diamond named Lightning and Thunder; they became an underground sensation within their state and even performed before Pearl Jam, with the band's guitarist Eddie Vedder amiably accompanied them during their performance for an encore.

However, life was not easy for them, and this movie contemplates how tough it is when misfortune's bolt strikes more than once.

From Documentary to Drama

The film is actually based on an existing documentary bearing the identical name from 2008 from filmmaker Greg Kohs concerning this surreal reality, a movie that relied heavily reliant on the couple’s family archive of home video. One could argue that the original documentary focuses more intently on the unrealistic and ridiculous elements of Mike and Claire’s life.

But that’s not how taken by this movie from director Craig Brewer reinvents their story. The director and stars turn the laugh-at into shared amusement. Jackman delivers a masterful performance portraying a Neil Diamond tribute artist, sounding almost like him, and looking almost like him. He’s perfectly plausible as someone who isn’t supposed to be the major leagues but who undoubtedly possesses the talent (and the vocal cords) to carry a show.

Standout Performances

Hudson is also excellent, doing her own singing as Claire, who before she joined Mike in the Neil Diamond tribute world had a thriving act performing as Patsy Cline. She is shown belting out Cline numbers, although there is one Cline standard is curiously omitted from this movie.

Actor Michael Imperioli portrays a Buddy Holly impersonator called Mark, and Mustafa Shakir is a James Brown act called Sex Machine. The role of Claire’s teen daughter Rachel, and King Princess is Mike’s daughter Angelina who is around the same age – with their developing friendship serving as another subtle element contributing to the movie's charm.

The Heart of the Story

Irony and satire have been surgically removed from the account of Mike and Claire's dramatically packed life experiences, and replacing them Brewer substitutes those qualities that the couple themselves would have been aware of: the vulnerability and loneliness of trying to make it on the fringes of the music industry, or indeed making it anywhere and in any business.

This is a tale of relentless perseverance and its cheerful optimism renders it a rich holiday delight.

The film "Song Sung Blue" is out on 25 December in the United States and 1 January in Australia and the United Kingdom.